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Get the right chains for your vehicle

Winter is in full flow, if you’re heading up to the mountains it’s probably time to invest in a good set of tire chains! We at Rack N Road know that tire chains can be difficult to understand and to deal with, so we decided it was time to step in. In order to help ease the pain we are going to give you a step by step guide into purchasing the right tire chains for your vehicle.

To begin, in order to get the proper tire chain you need to know the measurement of your tires. This can be located on the front of the tire, typically next to the tire’s brand logo. You should be able to see a 3 digit number (Width) followed by a 2 digit number (Profile) and then another 2 digit number (Rim, sometimes displayed with the letter R before the numbers). Each measurement is necessary to determine your tire chain size, so it’s imperative that you mark down the correct numbers. If you are still unsure where to locate these numbers, don’t hesitate to come to a local Rack N Road and we will gladly check it out.

Do you have a passenger vehicle or an SUV or truck? Different vehicles require different chains. IMPORTANT: Some vehicles require 0mm clearance chains. This is typically displayed in the owner’s manual if you aren’t sure whether you need 0mm clearance or not.

Once you have the proper measurements for your tire, the vehicle type, and know what clearance you have for your chains; we can now narrow down some actual chains. Now, snow chains come in all different shapes and styles so it is very important that you let your local Rack N Road employee know what your looking for in a snow chain. Do you want more traction or do you want an easy off-and-on chain? Is price a factor? Let us know and we’ll get you set up with a perfect fit.

Rack N Road supplies Thule snow chains, with a range of styles and price points. We can’t get enough of the Easy-Fit design, it is far and away worth the investment if it saves you from the cold scrambling affair that is installing tire chains. Practicing with these chains first eventually allows you to install them in mere seconds.

The 0mm clearance K-Summit has some of the highest traction and quality of any chain we’ve seen, offering you peace of mind in comparison to cables (it also happens to be another easy installer). The standard diamond pattern on other Thule chains ensures there will always be chain on the road, again a safer bet when compared with the typical ladder style many other brands have.Because chains are extremely tire specific, give yourself some time in advance before your road trip to contact your local Rack N Road and check availability. If we don’t have a chain in stock, we can always order it for you!